Cornstalk-cutter



(No Model.)

J. D. MERCER. CORNSTALK GUTTER.

. l' gm mmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES DENMAN MERCER, OF OTTAVVA, OHIO.

CORNSTALK-C UTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 410369, datedSeptember 3, 1889. Application filed April 20, 1889. Serial No..308,037. (No model.)

To all whom 't may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES DENMAN MERCER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ottawa, in the county of Putnam and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Inprovenents in Cornstalk-Cutters; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvement-s in cornstalk-cutters; and itconsists of the peculiar construction, arrangement, and adaptation ofparts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointedout in the claims. As an Understanding of my invention can be had tobetter advantage by a detailed description thereof, I will now proceedto de- Scribe the same in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a top plan view showing my improved cornstalk-cuttingmachine, with the position of two rows of cornstalks upon which themachine is adapted to act indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is aninverted or bottom plan View of my machine. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional View on the plane indicated by the line a; :r of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding paris in all thefigures of the drawings, referring to whichl designates the platform ofny improved machine for cutting cornstalks. This platform is secured toa main triangular frame 2 and an axle 3, and it consists of horizontalboards on which one or more attendants can stand to gather the stalksand set them into shocks as the stalks are cut by the knives of machine.The triangular frame 2 consists of two inclined side pieces 4 5 and across-piece 6, all of which are firmly united together in any well-knownand substantial nanner, and the rear or inner edges of the side piecesof the frame are reoessed to receive the forward end of the boards ofthe platform, which is thus arranged flush with the upper faces of theside pieces. To the apex of the triangular frame or forward end of themachine is secured a central longitudinal draft bar or beam '7, which isfirmly bolted to the frane journaled the carrying-wheels 9, whichsupport the rear end of the platform at a suitable elevation above theground. Between the axle and the rear cross-bar 6- of the triangularframe are arranged horizontal bars 10, which are located near the endsof and bolted to the axle and cross-bar. These bars 10 provide anintervening space between themselves and the lower side of the platform,and between s'aid bars 10 and platform are interposed brake-levers 11,each of which is fulcrumed at an intermediate point of its length on oneof the bars 10. The outer ends of these brake-levers are arranged toimpinge or bear against the peripheries of the carrying-wheels 9, andsaid ends of the brakelevers may, if desired, be provided withbrake-shoes, as is obvious. The inner approximate ends of thebrake-levers are connected by an intermediate link 12 with the rear endof an endwise-movable rod 13, which is arranged on the lower side of theplatform longitudinally of the machine, the forward end of this rodbeing pivotally connected to the lower end of a vertically-disposedlever 14, which passes through a slot 15 in the platform near itsforward end, and is suitably fulcrumed on a rod 16, which is Secured ineyes or staples 17, fixed on the platform. It is evident that the upperend of the lever 14 can be thrown rearward by hand to apply thebrake-levers 11 to the carrying-wheels, and thus retard the same, thebrake being especially useful when transporting the, machine over roadsfrom one field or farm to another.

To the rear end of the platform, and projecting laterally from the sidesthereof, I have provided nud-scrapers 18,which are arranged to clear themud that may accunulate on the peripheries of the carrying-wheels, andover these carrying-wheels guards 19 are provided,

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which are suitablysccured to the platform; The front' end of theplatform is supported by means of a caster-wheel 20, which is connectedto the draft-bar in such a manner as to permit it to turn or revolvefreely in any direction. This caster-wheel has its shaft journaled in ahanger 21, which is swiveled to the lower extremity of a headed verticalrod 22, which passes through a vertical slot 23 in the draft-bar, and isvertically adjustable in said bar by means of transverse perforations inthe vertical bar and a pin 24, which passes through the draft-bar andone of the perforations in the vertical bar. This vertical bar can beraised or lowered to enable the caster-wheel to support the front end ofthe platform at different elevations above thesurface of the ground,andthus adapt the machine to cut the stalks closer to and farther from theground, according to the adj ustment of said vertical bar, while at thesame time the caster-wheel is free to turn horizontally on the verticalbar.

To the diverging side bars of the frame 2 are secured a series of shorthorizontalplates 25, and to the outer ends ot' the series of platesattached to each side bar of the frame is Secured a continuous knife-bar26, the outer edge of which is beveled to a cutting-edge. These knivesdiverge laterally ot' each other toward the rear end of the frame, andthey are thus adapted for eutting rows of cornstalks which vary inwidth.

In the draft-bar is forned a vertical aperture, in which is detachablyfitted a vertical stake or bar 30, around which the reins or lines usedfor driving the animal can be fastened when the machine is in use andthe operator engaged in setting the cornstalks into shocks.

In operation the machine is drawn by the animal between two adjoiningrows of cornstalks, so that the fixed knife-bars thereof act against thestalks and cut them with a shear cnt at or near their lower ends closeto the ground. The reins are fastened to the vertical stake and one ortwo persons stand on the platform and with their arms gather thecornstalks as they are cut by the advancing machine and set them intoshoeks. The adjoining rows of cornstalks offer equal resistance to theknife-bars on the machine, so that the caster or pivot wheel followsdirectly in the line of the draft, and the machine is thus drawn by theanimal without guidance by the attendant, who is thus able to devote hisattention to gatherng the stalks and setting them into shocks. I am thusenabled to provide a machine which will effectually and rapidly cnt thecornstalks close to the ground j-and enable the attcndants to stand onits platform and gather and bind the cornstalks.

I am aware of the corn-harvester shown in Patent No. 31,406, datedFebruary 12, 1861, in which inclined knives are carried by a skeletonframe mounted on runncrs; but it is evident to a person skilled in thisart that when a sled of this character is enployed to cut one or asingle row of cornstalks the machine will 'be moved laterally of the rowby the resistance oltered by the tough cornstalk, and as the succeedingstalks of the row are approached and cut the machine gradnally assumessuch a position laterally of the row of stalks that its knife-bar onlyouts the stalks at its extreme rear end, if it cuts the stalks at all.WVith my machine, however,'having the swiveled caster-wheel at its frontend in the line of draft of the machine, the cast-er-wheel serves toadjust or turn the' :machine in the middle of the row after eachcornstalk has been cut, and thus keep 'the machine in such a positionthat its knifebar cuts the cornstalks at an intermediate point of thelength of said knife-bar. It is evident in eutting a single row ofcornstalks that with a sled such as described there is nothing to keepthe machine from lateral deflection of the row of cornstalks, as theopposite side of the machine does not encounter any resisting object andhence the machine is not liable to keep the middle of the row; but witha pivot or caster-wheel such as I provide the machine is returned to itsnormal position in the middle of the row after its knifebar clears thecornstalk.

I am also aware of Patent No.122,176 for a machine for euttingcornstalks, consisting of a triangular skeleton frame having convergingknife-bars at its sides, a pair of handles at the rear end of saidskeleton frame for guiding the machine, and two carrying-wheels arrangedin rear ot' the apex of the machine and behind one another at pointsintermediate of the length of the iframe, said carrying-wheels beingcarried at the middle of separate axles which are journaled in theinclined sides of the frame; 'but such is not my invention.

Slight changes in the form and proportion of parts can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A machine for eutting cornstalks, consisting of a triangular framehaving a horizontal platform secnred thereto, a single transverse axlesecured to the rear end of said triangular trame and having at its endsthe rear carrying-wheels, the knife-bars fixed to the inclined sides ofsaid triangular frame, a draft-bar fixed to the apex of said trian gularframe and arranged in line with the longitudinal center ot' the machine,and a single depending caster-wheel swiveled to the draft-bar in theline of the draft of the maehine and being free to turn in any directionon the draft-bar, whereby the machine is maintained in proper relationto the line or row of cornstalks when eutting against a single row bythe swiveled Castor-wheel, as herein described. V

2. A machine for eutting cornstalks, com- IOO IIO

prising a triangular frane having a horizontal platform Secured thereto,a series of plates fixed to the inciined sides of said frame, theknife-bars removably bolted to said plates, a single transverse axleSecured to the rear end of the machine and having the rearcarryingwheels at its ends, a single draft-bar Secured to the apex ofsaid frame in line with the longitudinal center of the machine, andprovided with a vertical central slot, averticallyadjustable bar fittedin said slot and having means for rigidly securing itself to thedraftbar, and a caster-wheel swiveled on the bar in line of the draft ofthe machine and being free to turn in a horizontal direction on said i 5bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES DENMAN MERCER.

Witnesses:

J. J. ZELLER, HARRY BIRKMIER.

